Man arrested after Port St. John gunfire bragged of violent exploits, deputies say

Donovan Adkins, 25, of Cocoa, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammo by a convicted felon. He was arrested in connection with an exchange of gunfire in a Port St. John home in June.(Photo: BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

A man who deputies say bragged to them about his violent exploits — among them, claiming he once bludgeoned a police dog to death with a gun — was arrested last week in connection with an exchange of gunfire during a June altercation in Port St. John.

Donovan Tyler Adkins, 25, of the 3300 block of Philip Lane, Cocoa, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammo by a convicted felon. He was being held Thursday at the Brevard County Jail on $100,000 bail.

On June 15, Brevard County deputies responded to a home in the 4000 block of Fay Boulevard. Multiple witnesses in the home described an altercation in the living room that involved an exchange of gunshots, but each gave conflicting accounts of the incident and the shooters, deputies said.

Deputies discovered one of the men involved appeared to have been grazed on his leg by a bullet. He would not identify who shot him or who else was involved, telling deputies he was afraid of being killed if he provided information, and declined to press charges, reports state.

The man was treated by medics at the scene and refused further medical treatment.

Another witness said he and Adkins had gotten into a fight following another altercation the previous day, and that Adkins pulled out a gun and began firing when the fight turned physical, deputies said.

Adkins denied having a gun during a talk with deputies, but divulged other violent details "about how he fights, has been in trouble, beat a police dog to death in Oklahoma by beating it in the head with a gun and bragged about other violent incidents," deputies wrote in a report.

An investigation determined shots had been fired from the doorway of the room Adkins was renting in the home. Deputies discovered shell casings, along with a black .45 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol beneath a pile of clothes in Adkins' room. Forensics determined the casings were fired from the pistol, according to reports.